


An Unexpected Gift From Boston

by iloveromance



Category: Cheers (TV), Frasier (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-20 20:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20681681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveromance/pseuds/iloveromance
Summary: After returning to Boston from a trip to Seattle, Lilith receives some news that changes everything. (Set after "Room Service")





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn't like her to call in sick to work. And certainly not two days in a row. But when she woke that Sunday morning, barely a month after returning from a trip to Seattle, she knew that something was wrong.

Her stomach lurched and it was all she could do to make it to the bathroom before the inevitable happened. Minutes later, her stomach empty, she felt completely and utterly miserable. She rummaged around the bathroom cabinets frantically looking for something; anything to settle her stomach. Her mind went back to the day before and then the day before that, hoping to pinpoint exactly what she could have eaten that may have contributed to her state of wretchedness. She was always so careful about her diet. It was a trait that other people (even Frasier and Niles) found rather odd. But Lilith saw nothing wrong with it. Why was it so strange to want to eat as healthy as possible? She had certainly reaped the benefits in more ways than one.

Admittedly beautiful, she didn't have to glance into the mirror to appreciate her curvy figure, flat stomach, well-toned arms and dark, wavy hair that fell to just below her shoulders. The tight bun that had become her signature of sorts was something that she wore less and less often, choosing instead to wear her hair down. Frasier often told her that he preferred it that way. And Brian said the same thing in not so many words.

Her next breath caused her chest to ache.

Brian….

God, she hadn't thought about him in such a long time. Well, not consciously anyway. But she was no fool. She knew that he would always be there in her memory and in a small place in her heart. The image of him was buried in her mind, ready to surface at any given moment. And she wondered if her all too frequent headaches were subconscious reminders of the man that she used to love.

She never dreamed that she would marry again after her divorce from Frasier. He was, and always had been the love of her life. In many ways they were complete opposites, but in others they were a perfect match. From the moment they met there was an undeniable chemistry between them that neither of them could ignore.

The birth of Frederick (inconveniently in the backseat of a taxi) was the happiest moment of her life. Frasier was a wonderful father and she wouldn't trade their life together for anything in the world. But their marriage simply wasn't to be.

She blamed herself and that damn Dr. Pascal for trying to steal her heart. In the process she'd lost her husband; almost forever. She shuddered at the memory of seeing Frasier standing on the ledge of the building determined to end his life. She didn't know how she could go on without him, despite the differences that tore them apart. And she hated that her relationship with Frederick had become strained because of it.

It was true that Frederick was in a difficult period of his life; it certainly wasn't easy becoming a teenager. But it wasn't easy to parent one. However, she couldn't help but think that the changes that Frederick was going through attributed to their strained relationship. It was a critical time in his life and he needed his father; he needed his father a lot more often than their weekly long distance phone calls allowed.

She brushed away angry tears. "Damn it Frasier, why did you have to move back to Seattle?" More tears followed, but this time she made no effort to get rid of them. No one was there to see them anyway. However, anyone who could see her would most likely think that her emotional state was due to the fact that she still loved Frasier. But it simply wasn't the case.

She wasn't in love with Frasier anymore and hadn't been in love with him in a long time. She'd moved on. And, as she gathered from his conversations with Frederick, so had Frasier.

Like a cruel joke, Brian entered her thoughts once again. How could she have fallen for his charms? His good looks? His words of love? She'd really and truly believed that he loved her; so much so that she'd fallen in love with him and subsequently married him, despite the reservations of her son.

She stupidly assumed that Frederick's anger and hostility were normal reactions to the presence of a new man in her life. But she began to wonder if, perhaps, Frederick was more intuitive than she thought.

Her stomach reminded her of the reason she had gotten out of bed in the first place and she gulped down the strongest medicine she could find. When she climbed back in bed, she was certain that she would feel better in a few hours, but her restless sleep gave way to even more misery. Unable to take anymore, she climbed out of bed and picked up her phone.

The cheerful voice that answered brought a wave of guilt that added to her nausea.

"Monique, it's Lilith. Listen, I won't be in today. I'm not feeling well at all."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Clearly Monique was just as stunned by the news as Lilith. And then Monique spoke again.

"All right, Dr. Sternin. I hope you feel better. I'll let the others know that you won't be in today."

"Thank you Monique. So do I."

Feeling even more guilt, Lilith settled into bed, praying that her lab assistant's words would somehow have an effect on her and make her well again. Dear God, what was she thinking? Had her sudden illness made her completely mad? It was by all accounts likely and she vowed to do everything she could to improve her health as quickly as possible. She was wasting valuable time by not being at work, not to mention causing an undue hardship on her coworkers and employees.

She laid in bed all day, save for the few times that she managed to drag herself into the kitchen in an attempt to make herself something to eat. But by early evening she still wasn't feeling any better. She knew that she couldn't afford to miss any more work, but she also knew that she would be useless at the office. And she with reluctance, she called after closing time and left a voice mail stating that she would be out for a second day.

Ideally, she would have taken advantage of her rare day of free time and just relax (God knew that she deserved it), but something didn't feel right. She never got sick; ever. She was sure that her illness was nothing serious, but just to be safe, she scheduled a doctor's appointment for that afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

In the small examining room, Lilith almost wished that she hadn't come. She'd never made a doctor's appointment with such haste before and even her physician and close friend Dr. Angelia Morris seemed surprised.

"This isn't like you, Lilith." Angela said with a smile as she popped the plastic coated thermometer into Lilith's mouth. "Usually I have to practically send you a personal message to entice you to make a routine appointment."

"It's not at all like me." Lilith mumbled. "And I've missed two days of work. Something's wrong and I want to make it right as soon as possible."

"Of course." Angela replied, removing the thermometer. She glanced at it for a second but Lilith was unable to read her doctor's expression.

"What is it?" Lilith asked.

"Nothing yet. Lie back on the table for me, all right? Now, aside from the nausea, have there been any other symptoms?"

"Well, come to think of it, yes."

"Tell me about them."

"Oh you know, fatigue, insomnia, stomach issues, headaches..."

"Really…" Angela's flat voice caused Lilith some annoyance.

"Yes, really. Do you think something is wrong?"

"Probably not, but it's best to be sure. Most likely it's nothing more than the flu but we can't be too careful."

"But I am careful." Lilith protested. "That's what I don't understand."

"Any missed periods?"

"Are you kidding me? Are you forgetting how old I am? I haven't had a period in, well, since I can remember."

Angle laughed. "You aren't that old, Lilith, trust me."

"What's going on? Is there something you're not telling me?" Her voice in octaves.

"Try not to worry all right? We'll just run a few tests and-."

Lilith looked up sharply. "Tests? What sort of tests?"

"Routine tests, but they'll give us an answer pretty quickly, although I think I already know what the situation is."

"What? What is the situation? There's no situation, I promise."

"Everything will be fine, Lilith. I assure you."

Lilith tried to smile but it was impossible. How could she even pretend to be happy when Angela insisted on running more tests? That was never a good sign. Suddenly she wished that Bryan was there with her, as crazy as it sounded. But knowing Bryan, he was most likely with the man he'd fallen in love with. The man who had played a huge part in the destruction of their marriage.

An unexpected sob escaped and she covered her mouth with her hand in embarrassment, but then breathed a sigh of relief when it appeared that Angela hadn't noticed. And if she had, her friend and physician made no mention of it. Still, the emotional breakdown caused Lilith to feel even more self-conscious.

Angela turned to her and covered Lilith's hand with her own. "Lilith…"

"I-I don't know what's wrong with me!" Lilith said, allowing the tears that she'd kept at bay to unleash themselves. Although it was an embarrassing sight, the release felt good. It felt very good. "I-I'm never like this. You know that! I-."

"Life can be stressful and even the smallest things can take their toll. Tell me, has anything of importance happened recently? Anything life-changing?"

Lilith laughed and blew her nose into the tissue that Angela handed her.

"Thanks. Life changing? That's putting it mildly. Frederick is just entering his teenage years; he's in junior high now; God help us all. And my husb- I-I mean my ex-husband left me for another man!"

Angela gasped. "Oh Lilith, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"No one knew. No one except…" Her mind went back to her trip to Seattle and how she'd confided in Frasier. It was the most difficult thing she'd ever had to tell him.

"No one except whom, Lilith?"

She shuddered, pushing the memory from her mind. "Never mind. It's not important. It's all very embarrassing to tell you the truth."

"No need to be embarrassed. It's not your fault."

"How can you say that when you don't even know the details? I never-."

"Because I know you, Lilith. I've known you for a long time; even before Frederick was born. Now you mustn't blame yourself. Doing so will only make things worse. I'm going to send you down to the lab for some blood work and we'll run those tests, all right? I'm sure that it's nothing that a few medications and some rest won't fix."

Lilith nodded, feeling a bit better. "Thank you, Angela."

Angela smiled. "It's my pleasure. Just relax and in a little while we'll have our answer."  
(Later)

After returning from the lab, Lilith sat alone in the same exam room and looked around. She did her best to think positively, telling herself that Angela was right. It was probably nothing more than the flu. But the truth was that she couldn't make herself believe it. It was so easy to assume the worst; that this… whatever it was might be serious. Oh God, what would happen then? How would she tell Frederick? And Frasier?

Once again her chest hurt and it became almost impossible to control her emotions. But she took a deep breath, determined to remain strong. As she often told her patients, it did no good at all to crumble before knowing what the diagnosis was. However, when it came to the reality of the situation, it was far easier to panic than to heed her own advice.

The piece of medical tape that covered the small cotton ball on her arm served as a reminder of why she was there. As though she needed to be reminded.

Her mind was racing and she closed her eyes, doing her best to concentrate on her breathing. It was a technique that Frasier had encouraged her to use during the many trials and tribulations of their life together, but now the simple act of breathing proved to be difficult.

The door opened unexpectedly and the sound nearly caused her to jump out of her skin. If her heart had been racing before, now it was moving at a dangerous speed.

"All right Lilith I have your test results here."

She studied Angela's face for any sign of what she was about to learn, but her expression was unreadable.

"What is it?" Lilith asked, choosing not to beat around the bush. "God, please tell me it's the flu. Because if it's more than that-."

Angela sat down in the chair and opened the manila folder that she held in her hands. "Lilith, you and I have been friends a long time and-."

Lilith's head began to ache. "Angela, please, whatever it is, I have to know. Just tell me, all right?"

"Well, it's not the flu."

The news caused Lilith to sigh with relief. "Good. But if it's not something worse, can I go back to work tomorrow? I'm really behind as it is."

"I don't see why not. Most women work right up until the last few months."

Lilith's eyes widened. "The last few months? Oh my God, what are you trying to tell me? A-am I dying?"

To her horror, Angela began to laugh.

"What in the hell is so damn funny? This is serious! I-."

"You're not dying, I can assure you."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound unprofessional, but I find it funny that you don't seem to understand what's happening here."

"I don't, so unless you want me to seek another opinion, I want you to tell me honestly. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you. Nothing at all. Congratulations, Lilith. You're pregnant!"


	3. Chapter 3

Lilith stared at Angela in disbelief. "God, I must be sicker than I thought because I could have sworn that you just said-."

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in, especially if it's unexpected but this is exactly what I'm talking about! This is exciting, Lilith! You're going to have a baby!"

Lilith held up her hand, trying her best to recover from the shock. "Wait… wait, this is impossible! I-."

"Something tells me that you weren't prepared for this."

"Prepared? How could I possibly have been prepared?" Lilith jumped off of the exam table and began to pace back and forth in the small exam rom. "No, this is… this is impossible. This is crazy! This can't be happening! I-I'm too old to have a baby! And besides, I already have a baby. Well he's not a baby any more but that's exactly my point!"

"Lilith, please! You're still young! You're certainly not too old to become a mother again! And Frederick-."

"Oh my God, what will he say? He won't like this at all! And Frasier? H-how will I possibly tell him?"  
She put her hands over her face. "I'm sure he'll be overjoyed. He's the father, isn't he?"

A cold chill ran up Lilith's spine as she quickly did the math. No… this wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening at all."

"Lilith?"

"I-I'm not feeling very well. I think I need to leave."

"What's wrong?"

"I-I think I need to lie down."

Angela patted the exam table. "Lie down here. I don't have any patients for a while and if we talk about this-."

"No, I mean I need to go home! I-I need to process this! Oh my God, this isn't happening! No!" Unexpectedly a sob escaped and she turned way, embarrassed.

"Lilith, come on just relax, all right? Climb up here and talk to me."

Lilith sighed and dutifully climbed up on the exam table, doing her best to relax. But it was completely impossible to do so.

"Now… What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong? Angela, I'm going to have a baby!"

"I know it's a shock, but after a few weeks-."

"A few weeks? No, I have to take care of this right away!"

"Oh, I see. Well, if you don't want to keep the baby, then I guess-."

"What? Oh, no I'd never do that, but…"

"Lilith, what's bothering you?"

"Well, I'm… I'm not married anymore for one thing! And Frederick-."

"I think he'll understand in time. Like you said, he's not a baby anymore and..."

Angela kept talking but Lilith wasn't listening. Her mind was working like a freight train, trying to process the information. She was going to be a mother. She was going to have a baby. She wasn't married anymore and she had a teenage son to whom she could never possibly begin to explain this because she herself didn't understand.

"…. to contact Frasier and tell him-."

"NO! I-I mean I can't tell Frasier! Not about this! I-I have no idea what I would say! How could I possibly-."

"Lilith, he has a right to know!"

Lilith cringed. Of course Angela would think that Frasier was the father of her baby. That's the way it was supposed to be. If that were the case it would be so easy to call him and tell him the news. Perhaps he would move back to Boston and take care of her and Frederick.

But he would be absolutely livid if she were to tell him the news. For it really didn't concern him at all. She felt Angela's hand in hers and she looked up to see her doctor's concerned expression.

"You know that I'm your friend and you can tell me anything."

Lilith nodded. "Yeah, I know, but-."

"Telling Frasier will be hard, but-."

"Don't you get it? I can't tell Frasier! Not about this! He-he'd never understand."

"He's a doctor. I think that he would understand perfectly if you two had made love recently. Things like this happen under the worst of circumstances. "

"Yes, but you don't understand! This isn't about him! This isn't about him at all!"

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong? It's… everything is wrong! My life is about to be turned upside down and it's going to take Niles and everyone with it!"

"What do you mean?"

Lilith sighed deeply and lay back on the exam table, strangely comforted by the cheap foam pillow behind her head. "Oh God…."

"Look, if you can't talk to me then surely there must be someone-."

"Niles…"

"What?"

"Niles… Oh my God…"

"Isn't that-."

"Frasier's brother, yes."

"He's a psychiatrist too, isn't he? Yes, that's a good idea. If you feel like you can't talk to Frasier than his brother would be a good one to confront."

"No…"

"No, what?"

"I can't talk to Niles! This will absolutely destroy him!"

"What are you saying? Why can't you talk to him?"

"Because…. Niles is the father!"


End file.
